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Justin Taylor
Justin Taylor is one of the main characters on Queer As Folk. Portrayed by actor Randy Harrison, Justin would spend most of the series as the partner of Brian Kinney. He is also the newest and youngest of Michael's group of friends. Appearance and personality He is a quick witted, tenacious, yet handsome teenager (later young adult). He is approximately 5'7 with a classic twink build, but posterboy image. He is known as "sunshine" named by Debbie because of his bright facial features especially when smiling. He has many faucets to his personality. In determination, he is tenacious and observant, but when happy, he is quirky and charismatic. In times of concern, he is often a voice of innocence and reason; especially in the later seasons. Background In the pilot episode, Justin Taylor is a high school student at St. James Academy, a private school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father, Craig Taylor, owns an electronics business called Taylor Electronics, and his mother, Jennifer, is a real estate agent. During the first season, Justin's parents struggle to come to terms with their son's homosexuality. His father kicks him out of the house, and Justin remains estranged from his father for the rest of the series. While his mother Jennifer takes a little time to understand her son, after several months, she becomes supportive of Justin and becomes involved in PFLAG. Justin is teased by many of the male students at his school who suspect he is gay, and he spends most of his time with his best friend Daphne Chanders. He excels at school and desires to be an artist. After meeting Brian Kinney, Justin is brought into Brian's circle of friends, with Michael Novotny's mother, Debbie Novotny, soon treating Justin as another son. Justin appreciates romance and aspires to be monogamous with Brian; in later seasons, he mentions wanting to get married and have a family. Justin attends the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts and works on the Rage comic book with Michael Novotny. Story Season One Brian meets Justin, a virgin, outside of Babylon, and takes him home to have sex with him. Justin is responsible for naming Gus, Brian and Lindsay's biological son. After their encounter, Justin falls in love with Brian going as far as to tell his friend Daphne "I saw the face of God," and eventually gets Brian to have sex with him again, breaking Brian's own rule of not having sex with the same person more than once. This causes Brian's best friend Michael to become jealous and act subtly hostile towards Justin while ultimately befriending him into the group. After Brian rebuffs Justin, he confides in Daphne whom tells him that she just went out and got a new boyfriend which made her ex completely jealous. She tells him "You're not exactly a troll, you know?" Justin takes her advice and goes out to the club, Babylon, accompanied by her and not only does he get his attention, but also gets the attention of people he pursuits. As they try to dance with Justin, Brian pushes his pursuers away has Justin to himself which he dances and then takes Justin home to be more intimate. In class, Justin's teacher asks what the definition of "yearning" is, and Justin gives his definition which catches the attention of Chris Hobbs. Chris starts acting up in class by pestering another male student (possibly to divert the conversation from going to deep to the sexual undertone he was thinking) and ends up getting detention. Justin visits him in detention and the two begin to bond. Despite their conversation being about girls, Chris has a lingering eye on Justin. Chris begins a conversation of his sexual encounter with a girl, and gets an erection and seductive tone enticing Justin. Justin masturbates him, and he doesn't stop him and enjoys it before there teacher walks in wondering why he isn't cleaning. Brian continues to rebuffs him, but yet, gives signal to Justin showing he cares more beyond his shallow actions. Justin gets a nipple piercing accompanied by Daphne. He gets harassed by Chris Hobbs about the piercing saying he really is queer and Justin fights him back. Later, at home, his father accusing him of flaunting himself around school and doesn't stand up for him when he was sexually harassed and Justin states that he will not go to another private school, and he will always be his queer son, and runs off to find Brian. His father ramps Brian, and later assaults him leading Justin to tell him he will not return home. Justin stays with Brian. he attempts to cook Brian dinner, but Brian brings a male visitor for the south to his disappointment. This particular hookup of Brian's gives Justin cooking tips on Jambalaya. After initially leaving, Brian comes home to a clean loft and a refine Jambalaya meal from Justin. Brian says it's good when tasting it. Justin looks over at Brian enjoying the food knowing he is winning him over. After the issues with Justin's father, and kicking him out, they have conversations about their fathers revealing Brian never told his father about his sexuality. Beyond Justin's knowledge, he went to go see his father later on. Brian kicks Justin out, and not knowing where he will end up, he runs away to New York. Daphne goes to the gang and tells them he has ran away. The gang goes to New York in search of Justin. Brian finds him in a hotel having tracked the use of his credit card. Justin and Brian become intimate in the hotel room and they bring him back to Pittsburgh. With his mother's consent, she allows Debbie to provide housing for Justin adjusting to his life as a young gay man. Debbie also hires him at the Liberty Diner to work off his dues for spending Brian's money on the credit card. When Brian and Michael aren't speaking due to the scandal at Michael's 30th Birthday party, Justin gets involved. Brian invites him to hang out for the first time while at the diner with Daphne. Realizing it was the first time, they wonder what it means and he instantly knows when Michael walks in the door; his misses Michael. Justin gets their orders wrong on purpose in an attempt to get them to talk but it doesn't work. Later, He tracks Michael down and gives him the comic saying the Brian loves him and that was his way of saying "goodbye" and giving him to David Cameron. Justin Saves Brian From Kip When Brian has sex with a subordinate worker, named Kip, at his firm, he files a lawsuit against Brian trying to blackmail him for a promotion. Justin hears of this, and using his final days of being seventeen years old, chased Kip until he enticed him into oral sex. Justin uses true facts about his father going crazy on a man he told about his sexual affairs (referring to Brian), however, he twists the facts. Kip gets worried thinking it will get out that he was with a minor, and Justin cleverly uses this to his advantage by bribing him not to press charges against Brian. Following Justin saving Brian from the lawsuit, he has his eighteenth birthday and begins looking into colleges. He also helps Brian babysit Gus since Melanie and Lindsay have fallen out and didn't have other arrangements during their discord. Justin and Daphne witness Hobbs picking on a introverted kid calling him queer and Justin stands up for him. his instructor, Mr. Dixon, stops the commotion, but places the blame on Justin for it. When calling attendance, when Justin names is announced, Hobbs shouts "Queer!" which makes the class laugh. Justin brings that to his teacher's attention only to have blatantly ignore Hobb's homophobic comment. Justin confronts him on it, and Mr. Dixon threatens to suspend him. Justin angrily shouts, "Well, this queer says "Fuck you!" as he leaves and goes to the principals office. Justin and Daphne attempt to start a gay-straight alliance at his school, only to have Mr. Dixon shut it down. The bullying continues with Justin as the burned his locker at school and cruelly taunt him. Hobbs and his buddies run into Justin and the gang on Liberty Avenue one evening. Hobbs tries to taunt him, but Justin angry about the trouble at school and that he caused him generally exposes Hobbs secret with him when he was in detention. He reveals to anyone witnessing on Liberty Avenue that he left him masturbate him and he enjoyed. Hobbs lefts embarrassed and humiliated saying the Justin was fucked. Their was applause from local LGBTQ community with Ted and Emmett supporting him, but Brian tells him that he has gained a REAL enemy. His mother goes to the school and speaks to the principal only to have excuses made to her and offensive analogies recited to her which she firmly stands up against. Luckily, through David's party, he met the senator who spoke publicly addressing the injustice of him not being about to start a gay-straight alliance club at his school to the dismay of school officials. Due to Justin's surrounding circumstances to growing up, and true colors coming out, his parents are at opposition. They divorce saddening Justin. Justin starts to make decisions attempting to appease his parents, but Brian and Debbie's talk sense into him saying that he has to live for himself and not make decisions based on his parents. he decides that Pittsburgh institution of Fine Arts is where he want to go instead of Dartmouth University. Justin confides in his best friend Daphne. Late in Season 1, she asks him to be the boy to take her virginity, since he is experienced. He agrees, and she falls in love with him the same way Justin fell in love with Brian. However, Justin shoots down her advances, and although it led to an altercation, they went back to being friends. Justin tries a number of things to get Brian to love him back, including competing in (and winning) the "King of Babylon" contest, stealing one of Brian's tricks, dancing with guys Brian is interested in, and asking Brian to the prom, among other things. Justin's Bashing In the Season One Finale, despite initially turning Justin down, Brian shows up at Justin's prom and dances with him, kissing him in front of everybody. After Brian and Justin share a dance and kiss while on the dance floor at the prom, they walk out to Brian's jeep. They reminisce of the previous events of the prom and then share a kiss. Justin described it as "the best night of his life." Unbeknownst to them, Chris had followed them to the parking garage. When Brian and Justin parted ways, Chris, a fellow student, follows Justin while he walks away with a baseball bat. Brian notices Chris too late and he swings and hits Justin in the head with the bat. Justin suffers resulting in a two week-long coma, trauma, and brain damage that causes limited use of his hand. Chris's only punishment is community service. This event has impacted his life immensely and its effects are seen throughout the series. Graduation Justin is hospitalized, but graduates Saint James Academy with his class and is accepted to Dartmouth College, but opts to go to the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts to pursue his dreams. Season Two Justin spends the first of the series recovering and having nightmares and flashbacks. The gang attempt to help him cope, especially Brian. The doctors would tell his mother that there was a determination that drove him to recover quicker. Once Justin was discharged, he made his way to Liberty Avenue looking for Brian and the gang. Despite His mother knowing Brian was there and grateful of him, she asked for him not to see Justin again. This infuriated Justin into a rage which herself and his sister witnessed. Jennifer finally agrees via Debbie's advice for him to go to someone he trust if she wants to see him remotely resemble the guy he once was. She asked Brian to take him. Debbie pushes Justin to go to his first pride alongside his mother. Justin and Emmett talk about Godiva and he explains about his history with Godiva. When Godiva passes away, he goes with Emmett as support. When Emmett needs time along, he walks outside to see Chris Hobbs mopping the floor for his community service. Chris harasses Justin again before he leaves. Despite Justin coping with his trauma, he manages to be brave and march in Pride 2002 with his mother. With Justin's diminished use of his drawing hand, he has trouble in his art class which his instructors take notice of. Brian gets a drawing computer for Justin to use, and he continues his fine arts undergraduate degree at PIFA. Just when Justin thinks they've become exclusive, Brian continued to bring company for no string attached sex disappointing Justin. Justin asks him why he ultimately has him at his place. Brian tells him his injuring was the reason he's there, but not the reason he wants him to stay. They become partners under conditions of each other to which they have a semi "open relationship". His mother takes him shopping having been successful in selling houses, and they arrive at Brian's loft right after he hooks up with a guy. Justin kisses him, but can sense he's been with someone. After his mother leaves, he asks how he was and guesses his attributes. Justin reluctantly goes to Daphne's party. He meets this college nerd and he takes his virginity. Despite the rules that him and Brian have in their partnership, he kissed him only because he wanted him to have a good first experience. In the morning, Brian senses the guy he was with at the party and predicted accurately that Justin kissed him as well. The guy shows up at Liberty Diner only to be rebuffed by Justin much like how Brian rebuffed him a year prior. He experiences financial trouble when his father refuses to pay for his tuition. With his mother's advice, He attempts to go to his father and ask for assistance. After his father constantly bringing up negative topics of discussion, Justin decides to find another way to get help. He resorts to becoming a go-go dancer at Babylon, despite Brian's repeated offers to help him out financially. Justin's new job takes its toll on him, the night shift causing him to lack energy during the daytime. After a disastrous experience at a party he was forced to accompany his boss to, where a number of men tried to rape him, he finally quits his job and accepts Brian's financial assistance. Brian's friend Michael Novotny suggest to Justin to make a new comic since Michael knows good narrative and Justin is an expert artist. Together, they create a gay superhero comic called Rage, with stories often based on their own lives. This initially makes Brian very jealous to destroy their work one more. Justin and Michael scold Brian at the diner in front of Debbie and leave. Debbie enlightens Brian that they worship the ground he walks on, and they HE IS the hero. Brian apologizes and endorses their work ultimately. After countless tries to get Brian to reveal his true feelings for him. Despite Brian paying for his tuition, and showing his love in a different way, it wasn't all the romance he wanted from Brian. Melanie and Lindsey took him to a recital for his 19th birthday where he became acquainted with a handsome violinist name Ethan Gold. Justin continues to see him around school with Daphne and the flirting continues. Michael even witnesses his actual cheating on Brian and informs him, betraying Justin. During the debut of Rage at Babylon with the gang, he sees Brian having sex with the actor playing Rage making his decision easier. Justin decides to leave Brian for a new guy. He starts living with Ethan to mark the end of the second series. Season Three After Ethan cheats on him with a fan after his first professional gig, Justin takes Daphne's advice and tries to win Brian back by getting a placement at Brian's advertisement agency. After a few tense weeks, Justin finally manages to seduce Brian once more in his office late one night. This sparks them to reconcile and continue their relationship. Justin drops out of college after a disagreement with the head of the internship program after it is discovered that he has been having sexual relations with his boss, Brian, and sabotaging Jim Stockwell's ad campaign. Season Four After a few issues of their comic book success, Justin and Michael are head hunted by a director himself. He asks Justin to represent as he is the artist and they "will believe picture more than words" as started by the director himself. Justin spends most of the season in Hollywood drawing and working to live production of the aspired "Rage" films. Season Five During the fifth and final season, Brian and Justin's relationship becomes more unstable. Justin works on a movie version of "Rage" but the project is canceled. When Justin returns from Los Angeles and moves back in with Brian, he expects them to settle down, which Brian still doesn't want to. He leaves Brian, but after a bomb explosion at Babylon, Brian admits his love for Justin, asking him to marry him. They plan to get married, but as the date draws closer, Justin realizes that Brian is trying to become someone he isn't, just to make Justin happy. Similarly, Brian realizes that Justin is giving up his career as an artist to settle down with him. He knew how important being an artist was to him, so he tells Justin that he should go to New York City to pursue his art career. Neither of them wanted to live with someone who would give up their lives to be with the other. Brian did not really want him to go, but he would not dare stand in the way of him pursuing his dream. On their last night together before he left for New York, Justin finds that Brian has not returned the wedding rings. He then tells Brian that they don't need wedding rings or vows to prove they love each other. They spent one last beautiful night together and when Brian awoke, Justin was gone. Justin had reassured Brian that they would continue to see each other frequently. This was not the end of their relationship. They loved each other and would be together. They were soulmates. Justin Rescues Brian On more than one occasion, Justin has saved Brian from legal problems. *The first time, he blackmailed Kip into dropping the sexual harassment lawsuit against Brian. Justin, using his final days of being seventeen years old, chased Kip until he enticed him into oral sex. Justin uses true facts about his father going crazy on a man he told about his sexual affairs (referring to Brian), however, he twists the facts. Kip gets worried thinking it will get out that he was with a minor, and Justin cleverly uses this to his advantage by bribing him not to press charges against Brian. *The second time, while he is still with Ethan, he makes Brian's nephew tell the truth about whether or not he had molested him. Justin find out where Brian's nephew hangs out. Justin, now 19, is still able to use his youth to his advantage by smooth talking Brian's nephew. He notices Brian's bracelet on his arm and simply remarks "nice bracelet" and walks away. he has informed Carl Horvath, Debbie Novotny, and Claire Kinney of John's deception about his uncle. Justin takes his bracelet and gives it to the rightful owner. While there is still romantic tension between them, they salute each other towards their separate ways. Quotes * "I need you!" -to Brian * "Cause I'll still be your queer son." to his father, Craig * "Well, I'm the man I want to be." -to his father, Craig Relationships Brian Kinney They come to share one of the most significant relationships in the entire series. Originally, Brian found Justin annoying, but over time developed genuine feelings for him. During the first season, his relationship with Justin is unclear. Brian hates the idea of couples but breaks his own rules for Justin, unable to resist the pull he feels towards him. He takes care of him in different ways: letting him move into his loft after Justin's kicked out of his parents' home, going after him to NYC after he runs away, advising him on school situations -- thus over and over, disproving his own verbal declarations of not wanting him around through his actions. Brian came to Justin’s prom and shared a slow dance. He visited a shrink to help discover how to help Justin heal emotionally from his attack. When Justin’s father kicked him out of the house for being gay, Brian immediately called his father out for his hateful words and offered Justin a place to stay. In the series finale, Brian asked Justin to marry him and took a chance on love by selling his loft and nightclub without knowing what Justin’s answer would be. Brian later told Justin to follow his dreams and pursue a successful art career in New York even though he wanted him to stay, having finally found true love, Brian chose to put Justin’s needs before his own. Jennifer Taylor Throughout the series, they form a stronger bond as she endures challenges trying to reach him in his lifestyle. She ultimately discovered his sexuality early, had to come to terms with it and the effects it had on their family, and witnessed her worst nightmare of him getting bashed. After his bashing and seeing how he can't help who he loves, she fights to further understand his world and what she can do to make him happy in what she understood in time could be a very dark cruel lifestyle. She knows she succeeds as a parent when she gets the invitation personally for an intended wedding for him and Brian. Michael Novotny In the first season, Michael is jealous of Justin having won the attention and affections of Brian, albeit, he does look out for him as one of his own friends. They start a comic together called "Rage" during the second season which was their foundation for a solid friendship and strong work relationship. When Justin and Brian split up, Justin started dating Ethan Gold in the later seasons, he was quick to call him out it, Michael tells Justin to get out of their lives. A few years later, Justin informs Michael of his health condition of cancer. Michael confessed to knowing which got Justin in trouble with Brian and ultimately kicked out. Justin throws back in Michael's face saying, "You wanted me gone from the beginning. You finally get your wish, Mikey." In the final seasons, Justin is staying with Michael and Ben after they split up again since he has no place of his own. Justin listens to Michael stand up against Brian bluntly calling him out on him never affirming his love for him nor Justin while also standing up for his own beliefs on a steady household. Debbie Novotny Debbie takes Justin in quickly as one of her boys and she is much like a second mother for when he leaves home for the first time and throughout. She calls him "sunshine" due to his bright features and smile. She houses him in Michael's old room, hires him at her diner as a busboy (later a server). She encourages him to start the gay club at school, as well as encouraging in his artwork saying it's a gift. Lindsay Peterson She helps him in his pursuit of a career in art as well as with Brian. She has taken him into her care from time to time with the support of Melanie. In return, he also babysits Gus for them on occasions. She believes he exceeds her in talent as she further encourages him to try to gain success in New York. Emmett Honeycutt Emmett is more nurturing towards Justin since the first episode when he is discovering who he is. When he outs Chris Hobbs to the viewers on Liberty Avenue, he says, "You go baby." and kisses him on the side of the head. They share a fun loving friendship where they make light jokes towards each other. Melanie Marcus They are at odds at first because of him liking the name "Gus" and disagreeing that Brian should give his parental rights away to her, however, besides these facts, she adores Justin and with Lindsey takes care of him from time to time. She is very quick to defend him in spite of Brian. Chris Hobbs At first, Chris is indifferent towards Justin, until they have detention together. During detention, the begin to share with one another. They start talking sexual and Justin realizes that Chris has an erection and helps him masturbate. Afterwards, Chris bullies Justin possibly feeling violated despite allowing the sexual actions to continue. Chris is responsible for bashing Justin in the finale of the first season. In the second season, Chris is seen mopping the floor of the hospice by Justin. He harasses Justin again by saying he will end up like the residents. This trigger Justin's trauma from the bashing. Craig Taylor It is hinted that they are not very close, but before Justin acknowledged his preferences, they maintained is distant father-son love. He is very opposed to his son's sexual preference. When trying to get Justin to move back home, he goes as far as to tell Justin, "You are not to go to gay bars, or talk about your disgusting lifestyle around here, and never to see him again." Justin runs away, and lives with his newfound friends in his new community. Justin goes to visit him after his mother encourages him to try and ask for his support. he tells Justin her name is Lori and he has been seeing her for about a year after he and Jennifer divorced. Justin shows his artwork to him, to which he seemed very mildly impressed creating an awkward air between them. Justin then asks for tuition assistance. His father, ultimately refuses due to Justin saying he can never be straight and go to business school. He calls his father out on not being "proud of him" because he not the man he wants him to be, and then states, "I'm the man I want to be." Another few years, Justin is aggressive in his demand for equal rights for LGBT rights against the politicians within Pittsburg. He argues with his father about prop 14 refers to him a hypocrite bigot that cheated on his mom. Later, when they hold a rally on his business property, Craig tells police to arrest him despite being his son. Justin remains estranged from his father for the rest of the series. Recognition In 2007, Justin was voted number 3 on the list of the top 25 gay television characters of all time by After Ellen's brother site AfterElton. The site called him "one of television’s most fully realized gay teenaged characters, Justin Taylor was 17 years old when Queer as Folk debuted. Over the five seasons the show ran, he started a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school, was brutally gay-bashed at his prom, had to learn how to use his right hand again during his first year of art school, created a successful underground gay comic, fought the election of a homophobic mayor, opposed an anti-gay statewide ballot proposition, and achieved acclaim as an artist. Portrayed by out gay actor Randy Harrison, Justin was never one for agonizing over his sexual orientation or struggling with coming out. He may have made a couple of soapy detours through a brief career as a go-go boy and as a member of a gay vigilante group, but Justin Taylor was the first out, proud, and politically active gay teen on American series television." Trivia * He is portrayed by Randy Harrison. * Daphne, his best friend, is the only woman he has had sexual relations with. Like Brian, he has only has sexual relations with one woman. Category:St. James students Category:IFA students Category:Liberty Diner staff Category:American gay men Category:Artists Category:Waiting staff Category:Gay men who have had sex with women